Monday, January 28, 2013

Our Last Day of Project Step

Last week, Addie's preschool started again. This semester, she'll go five days a week. This means I'll have about an hour and a half of kid free time every day! (With the exception of Wednesday, when I volunteer in Jack's class.) Mommy guilt has me thinking that that is a lot of time each week and maybe I should like, get a job during that time, or something. I wonder what jobs are hiring for for one and a half hours, four days a week? Probably none... So I can use that time to get the house clean (or catch up on episodes of New Girl...)

Anyway, one big change that has come due to Addie's new school schedule is that we will no longer be able to attend the Project Step playgroup that we'd been going to. I first started taking Jack when he was fifteen months old. It was called Beginning Steps back then, and met once a week at the kindergarten near our house. It worked out that even after Jack started preschool, I was still able to take him until he was four. Harry and I went until he was three, and at one point it was two days a week. Eventually, when Harry was two and Addie was a baby, the local class was cancelled, and we started going to the playgroup in a neighboring town. During the welcome song, Harry would always insist that we not sing to baby Addie. Ahh, memories :) Last year, it was just Addie and me. It was nice to do something one on one with her.

Starting this year, the playgroup switched to being just every other week. Since I knew this would be our last semester attending, we made sure to be there every time. Two weeks ago was our last class. It was bittersweet. We all really enjoyed going over the years. But, after six and half years of going, it seems strange and a little sad that I no longer have any babies to bring. (Here's a sure sign that Addie is the third kid: Jack went until he was four. Harry went until he was three. Addie went until she was two! Sigh.) And the future of the class is less than certain due to funding cuts, etc. So, I am sad to see this wonderful program exit our lives, and will be even sadder if it has to end altogether. We have so many happy memories there, meeting some of our best friends, making adorable hand print projects, learning Raffi songs... I am so grateful that we were able to have all of those great experiences, while at the same time I look forward to this new chapter of all big kids :)

So, here's to Project Step and one last time of shaking your sillies out.